Town Hall & Corn Exchange Project
The council meeting on Monday 12 February 2024 ended with a round of
applause, with the Town Council’s senior Councillors – Haydn White and
Lynn Lindsay – proposing and seconding the appointment of a contractor
and submission of a loan application to the government’s Public Works
Loan Board, which was agreed unanimously by the Councillors in
attendance.
The Town Council has been working for several years on a proposal to
restore and reinvigorate the Grade I Listed Town Hall and Corn Exchange
building. The works will repair and revive the entire building through a
combination of works that will help to increase the usage, generate footfall
and vibrancy that will provide an anchor for the town centre and ensure
that Blandford Forum’s spectacular heart survives and thrives in the future.
Specifically, the project will deliver a comprehensive programme of
conservation repairs, which include heating, cooling and acoustic
improvements in the Corn Exchange that will make the space more usable
for community events and activities. A priority is installing a new lift and
staircase to the historic first floor Town Hall and Council Chamber, making
these rooms fully accessible for the first time in the building’s 300-year
history.
The council is also keen to improve the stage/back-stage facilities for arts
and cultural users, including the reinstatement of the late-Victorian
proscenium arch. Other priorities include repairing and reinstating some of
the fine original interiors (including the tiles, shown above centre) and
removing some of the poor quality more modern interventions, helping to
make the interior of the building beautiful again and boosting a local sense
of civic pride. Planning permission and Listed Building Consent has been
granted by the Dorset Council.
The loan application has been submitted and an outcome is awaited.
In the meantime, the Town Hall, Council Chamber and Corn Exchange are
still in use until the end of March. This usage may be extended, depending
on contractor availability.
We will continue to keep residents updated with progress made on the
project. In the meantime, for further information, please do not hesitate to
contact us or visit: https://blandfordforum-tc.gov.uk/corn-exchange
Please view the full newletter here: Newsletter 116 February 2024
Last modified: February 19, 2024
